Wiseman medals in MOC long jump

By: Justin Feil
   SOUTH PLAINFIELD — Libby Bliss matched her sixth-place finish of a year ago, and the Princeton High School senior was thrilled with the progress it showed in her 800 meters.
   Her teammate, Cranbury’s Megan Wiseman, did exactly what she hoped to do after medaling last year. The PHS junior moved up one spot in the long jump to medal once again and set herself up for one last try at gold next year.
   For Bliss, a senior, it was the end of her Meet of Champions career. For Wiseman, a junior, it set her up for one more shot at the gold.
   Wiseman will be carrying the torch for the Little Tigers next year as she goes for a third MOC appearance and a third medal.
   She qualified for the MOC with a third in the long jump at the Group III meet, and also qualified for the triple jump with a fourth-place finish.
   Her second career MOC long jump medal came when she jumped 17-1½ for sixth place. It was an inch-and-a-half farther than she did in last year’s MOC to earn seventh.
   "Last year, she qualified and kind of just took the opportunity to take it all in," said PHS head coach Jim Smirk. "We sat down and spoke (Tuesday) about what we were really trying to accomplish (Wednesday). She was very focused. She said her goal was to put her best jump out there and see if it was good enough to medal and today it was.
   "I’m sure she was hoping to go a little further, put one out there around 18, and she came close on the first jump. She fouled by an inch maybe. She went far. It was close to 18. That’s a tough thing for a jumper, to know you missed it by an inch. But she came back well and performed well and had a pretty solid day."
   Wiseman finished ninth in the triple jump, missing a medal by less than five inches. She came back from that disappointment to place in the long jump to finish a season full of events for the multi-talented junior.
   "It’s tough, you’re being asked to jump hard on Saturday and come back and triple and come back in the long right after," Smirk said. "She’s starting to feel a little bit of that, but she performed well. I’m real happy with what she did. She had an awesome season. To cap it off with a medal at the Meet of Champions, that’s nice for her.
   "She’ll apply for nationals and take some time off and get ready for next year. She wants to improve. It’s a good mental attitude to have."